1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus, and more particularly to an apparatus for using or processing or treating or reading or writing the unusable area of discs, such as floppy discs, compact discs, hard discs, etc.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typical discs, such as floppy discs, compact discs, hard discs, etc., are required to be formatted before they may be used and read and written. The floppy discs and the compact discs each includes a single disc member. As best shown in FIG. 1, the typical hard discs each normally includes a number of compact discs 70 stacked or superposed with each other with a hub or the like, and received in a housing 80 (FIG. 3).
As shown in FIGS. 1-3, the computer or the hard disc includes one or more magnetic or recording head 73 supported with flexures 71 and coupled to an electromagnetic driver 72 with the flexures 71, for processing or treating or reading or writing the discs 70, such as the floppy discs, the compact discs, the compact discs of the hard disc. The hard disc or the computer for processing the compact disc or floppy disc may include a built-in program to process or to format or to treat or to read or to write the discs.
As shown in FIG. 4, the typical discs 70 will be treated by the built-in program of the computer or of the hard disc and formatted into a number of formatted tracks 74, and each of the tracks 74 may be formatted into a number of sectors 76. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the formatted tracks 74 are formatted or formed or defined by bursts or flags 0, 1, 2, . . . etc.
For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the tracks 74 are formatted or formed or defined between bursts or flags 0 and 1; 2 and 3; 4 and 5, 6 and 7; etc., such that the areas 77 formed or defined between the formatted tracks 74 will be undefined and unformatted and thus unusable, and may not be processed or treated or read or written by the recording head 73.
Similarly, as shown in FIG. 6, the tracks 74 may also be formatted or formed or defined between bursts or flags 1 and 2; 3 and 4; 5 and 6; etc., such that the areas 77 formed or defined between the formatted tracks 74 will also be undefined and unformatted and thus unusable, and may not be processed or treated or read or written by the recording head 73.
For example, the document entitled: Measurement Solutions for Disk Drive Design, opened to the public in the web site www.tektronix.com, shows that the tracks may be formed or defined or formatted between bursts 1 and 2, etc., and the areas between the formatted tracks also may not be used or processed or treated or read or written by the recording head.
Similarly, UK Patent Application No. GB 2184869 A to Stewart et al., entitled: Tracking magnetic discs also shows that the tracks may be formed or defined or formatted either between bursts 1 and 2; 3 and 4; 5 and 6; or between bursts 0 and 1; 2 and 3; 4 and 5; etc., and the areas between the formatted tracks also may not be used or processed or treated or read or written by the recording head.
Accordingly, after formatted, the floppy discs, the compact discs, or the compact discs of the hard disc may each include a number of unusable areas that are formed or defined between the formatted tracks, and that may not be used or processed or treated or read or written by the built-in program of the computer or of the hard disc. About or more than one-half of each of the discs will be wasted and may not be used.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,568,459 to Takamori et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,712,747 to Voldman et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,808,821 to Davy, U.S. Pat. No. 6,195,217 to Park also show several similar arts having a number of unusable areas formed or defined between the formatted tracks, and also unable to be used or processed or treated or read or written by the built-in program of the computer or of the hard disc.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional disc reading and writing processes and apparatuses.
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide an apparatus having a program for formatting or processing or treating or reading or writing the unusable areas of discs, such as floppy discs, compact discs, or compact discs of hard discs.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus comprising at least one disc including a plurality of usable tracks formatted and formed alternatively therein with bursts, and including a plurality of unusable areas formed and defined between the tracks, a recording head for processing and recording the usable tracks and the unusable areas of the disc, and means for actuating the recording head to process the usable tracks and the unusable areas of the disc. The usable tracks and the unusable areas formed or defined between the usable tracks may thus all be treatable or usable or processable with the recording head.
The actuating means includes a memory coupled to the recording head, and an actuating program provided in the memory to actuate the recording head to process the usable tracks and the unusable areas of the disc.
The actuating means includes a working station having the memory provided therein and coupled to the recording head. Another memory may further be provided and coupled between the working station and the recording head.
A processing unit may further be provided and coupled between the recording head and the first memory, and coupled to the second memory.
Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of a detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to accompanying drawings.